Garden Plot: Yes, you can save those unplanted tulips

If they're not already planted, you can't plant them now. But there is a solution for your forgotten tulips. (Getty)

Editor's Note: Meet Mike in Fredericksburg on Saturday, March 22, and Sunday, March 23. Mike will be at the Home & Garden Show at the Fredericksburg, Va. Expo & Conference Center.

It is not yet time to weed and feed

I promised to stay on top of local soil temperatures. That way, I could tell you the correct time to apply corn gluten meal to your lawn to prevent the maximum amount of crabgrass seed from germinating. That magic window of time is when soil temps approach 55 degrees - roughly 12.7 degrees Celsius - as measured four inches down.

Right now, area soil temperatures are hovering around 40 degrees, so we still have a good long ways to go. By all means, get your supply of corn gluten - you'll need around 10 pounds per thousand square feet of turf to give your lawn a safe, natural and legal feeding and pre-emergent treatment. But don't apply it yet - its active, seed-killing period would be over long before our soils could reach that magic number, which last year occurred in early to mid-April. And that was after a very warm winter.

Same for seed-starting: Get your gear together by all means, but don't actually start any seeds for another couple of weeks. Mid-March is ideal for mid-May plantings.

Can corn gluten stop weeds in flower beds?

John, on the South River in Anne Arundel County, writes: "For the past three years, I have been applying corn gluten meal to my lawn and have been successful in defeating the weeds that float in from my adjacent neighbors' neglected lawns. I also have eight perennial gardens. Can I treat them like my lawn and apply corn gluten to control weeds?"

I don't advise it, John. In addition to preventing the germination of weed seeds, corn gluten meal is a fertilizer that supplies pretty much only nitrogen, which is great for grass, but not fruiting and flowering plants. It would produce good- looking greenery, but there's a real good chance it would also reduce the number of flowers on those big, green plants. And it would definitely prevent the appearance of any desired flowers that spread by self-seeding.

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Garden Plot: Yes, you can save those unplanted tulips